Ford recently cut the price of the city-sized Fiesta across the board. This mid-spec LX model is $1200 cheaper.

Advertisement

Likes

Ford hasn't messed with the qualities that made the Fiesta so good – still a fun and engaging car to drive; engine has plenty of performance for a city car; still looks funky. Standard equipment includes front, side, curtain and driver's knee airbags. Six-speed dual-clutch auto shifts smoothly and quickly, getting the most out of the engine. Airconditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth and voice control are also standard.

Dislikes

Engine is noisy, especially under hard acceleration. Some of the interior materials feel cheap. No reach adjustability for the steering; even though that was available on previous models. No spare tyre, just a tyre repair kit. No USB port for music playback (that's only available on the more expensive Zetec model).

Would I buy one?

It would be near the top of my shopping list, with a Volkswagen Polo and Honda Jazz. But an updated model is coming in 2013 so, if I could, I'd wait for that.